North Brookfield boy safe; father faces fugitive charge

Wednesday

Dec 18, 2013 at 6:00 AMDec 18, 2013 at 4:28 PM

By Kim Ring TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

NORTH BROOKFIELD — A 21-month-old boy feared to be in "imminent danger" since Monday was found safe at a hospital in Milford, Conn., Tuesday night and his father was arrested as a fugitive from justice.

The North Brookfield boy, who had not been seen since his father picked him up before noon Monday for a scheduled visit and did not return him as scheduled at 5 p.m., was taken by his father to Milford Hospital shortly after an Amber Alert had been issued Tuesday night.

Ryan Woods, 30, and his son, Thomas Woods, had not been seen since Mr. Woods picked up the toddler Monday. The child's mother said she noticed then that Mr. Woods did not seem right and when they did not return as scheduled at 5 p.m., she alerted police. An Amber Alert was issued, as were warrants for his arrest Tuesday.

After talking to the father Tuesday night, hospital workers suspected something was wrong and called police. Police noticed that warrants had been issued in Massachusetts and arrested him. Mr. Woods is expected to face charges in Massachusetts Wednesday.

Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said Tuesday night that he was pleased with the outcome of the case.

"The child's mother is on her way to Connecticut with an empty car seat that will be full when they get home," Mr. Early said. "This is a very happy ending."

After investigating overnight, police investigators on Tuesday said they believed the child was "in imminent danger."

Mr. Woods will be facing charges of reckless endangerment of a child and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and will be brought back to face charges in Western Worcester District Court in East Brookfield, Mr. Early said.

The FBI had joined local and state police and detectives from the district attorney's office who worked feverishly on the case, Mr. Early said.

The child's mother, Matti Sjoblom, told police that Mr. Woods picked up his son for a scheduled visit at 11 a.m. Monday, but did not return him by 5 p.m., the time set for the boy's return. She said she knew immediately something was wrong.

"Mother's instincts," Ms. Sjoblom said at the police station Tuesday night, her eyes red from crying, after working closely with police much of the day Tuesday. "And I knew he wasn't right."

It took hours for police to issue the Amber Alert because the case did not initially meet some of the criteria, Mr. Early said, adding that in parental custody cases, there is a hesitancy in issuing the alerts. Eventually police obtained enough information to issue the alert, he said.

"Based on what they had last (Monday) evening they did not feel the imminent danger aspect of the case had been met," he said. "What we have learned with regards to the father are concerns and fears that we now have."

The mother, family members and friends provided police with information that Mr. Woods may have been depressed and that he left without shoes or winter clothing for the child. He left behind his cellular telephone, family members said.

Mr. Woods' brother, Stephen Woods, begged his brother to find help and return the boy. He said he was confident that police will find his brother and nephew.

"We want Thomas home," he said. "We want Ryan and whatever health institute, whatever we can do for Ryan to get him happy and healthy again. Ryan, please, if you happen to be in any type of trouble that we don't know of, use the public, their generosity, any ways necessary to get to a phone, to talk to somebody ... you need to get in touch with any of us, any authorities."

Messages posted on Facebook indicated it was out of character for Mr. Woods to keep his son beyond the planned end of the visit.

One posting stated they appeared to have left abruptly, without proper winter clothing for either and with Mr. Woods leaving behind the child's favorite blanket and his own cigarettes and phone.

Mr. Early said the child was not injured and would be safely home late Tuesday night.